The island nation has been hit hard by Super Typhoon Fung-wong, resulting in a minimum of two fatalities and forced the evacuation of over a million residents.
Authorities reported that the massive storm caused widespread flash flooding, storm surges, landslides, and destructive gale-force winds, leading to the relocation of millions of residents nationwide.
Extensive Destruction and Emergency Operations
In Pandan, Catanduanes, a severely affected area, disaster response teams recorded rising waters reaching rooftop levels and residences being swept away by strong flows.
“Our personnel saved fourteen people who were trapped atop a house engulfed in flood in a flood-prone area,” a disaster-mitigation officer stated. One resident also called in panic, saying the roof of his house was about to be ripped off due to the storm. We rescued him and four relatives.”
As of Monday morning, officials confirmed at least two deaths: a drowning victim on the island and another killed after her home gave way on Samar island.
Storm Intensity and Projected Path
The super typhoon was downgraded to a severe tropical storm early Monday while moving over the main island, home to the national capital.
According to the state weather service, the storm’s sustained wind speed decreased from 115 mph to 102 mph, though wind bursts peaked at more than 275 km/h.
The storm system is expected to lose strength as it moves north toward Taiwan.
Relief and Assessment
The national disaster response service stated efforts were ongoing to assess damage on buildings and roads.
Roughly thousands of shelters have been opened to temporarily house 92,000 families.
Previous Storms and Climate Impact
The typhoon hit just days after another severe storm, which killed hundreds of lives with another 135 missing prior to advancing to Vietnam, where it killed five.
Search operations for those still missing had to be suspended recently due to safety concerns to emergency personnel.
Global warming is making tropical storms stronger and frequent. This typhoon marks the 21st typhoon to impact the nation this year.
Researchers report that the frequency of super-typhoons hitting the Philippines has increased doubled over the last two decades.
Global assessments suggest that severe weather events result in approximately US$3.5 million in losses to the country annually.
The Philippine president declared an emergency declaration on Thursday because of the extensive devastation caused by the prior typhoon and the expected damage from the new storm.
